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What I Tested…
Pulse Ring ($199+)
Why I Tested…
How I Tested…
I wore the Pulse Ring daily over the course of six weeks. I didn’t sleep with it on, because I can’t sleep with any jewelry on, but from the moment I woke up I wore it.
Test Results…
Ease of setup. I started with the sizing kit, but once my ring was delivered, it was incredibly quick to set up. You place the ring on its charger and wait for the light to turn off. From then on, you can wear it. It’ll vibrate at different times for you to take your mindful moment.
Effectiveness. Over the course of the six weeks, there were some truly stressful, anxious moments where the ring vibrated and I was immediately pulled out of my head. I then would take a few deep breaths, repeat a few mantras, and if I felt like I was really in it, place a hand on my chest to ground myself. Via the app, you can adjust the settings and have the ring vibrate more frequently, but I liked that I couldn’t predict the ring’s vibrations. This made it feel more organic, and when the ring did catch me in an anxious moment, I really tried to pause what I was doing.
Features. You don’t have to download the app for the ring to function, but if you do download it, you get access to focus mode, where you can have minute-to-minute haptics to help with habit formation. There’s also a meditation mode (vibration-led), and a soothing mode (gentle vibrations to shift your focus from head to body). A lot within the app is free, so you don’t need a subscription, but behind a paywall is a journal for reflection, different courses, and features like family mode, couples mode, calendar sync, social media awareness, and more. I wish the social media awareness was free, because that’s something I would definitely utilize. I have time limits set on my social media apps, but am guilty of overriding those time limits on some days.
Battery life. The battery life on this ring is scary long. There were some days where I was convinced I had to charge it, but when I checked within the app, it still had a decent amount of battery left. Over the six weeks, I charged it twice.
Brand’s mission. When it comes to the brand’s mission, I really admire the purpose of the ring. The entire idea is to practice mindfulness more throughout your day, get into your body whenever possible, and to pause. As someone who lives and works in New York, I often forget to slow down. I also appreciate that the ring doesn’t track you. There’s no health information being stored. I don’t wear health trackers for this reason, so it put me at ease to know that nothing about my metrics was being recorded. You also don’t need your phone when the vibrations occur. Breathwork can happen independently of screentime, so it doesn’t encourage you to pick up your phone.
Sidenotes…
Price. The silver option is $199, while the gold is $239. For something that doesn’t provide health metrics, I do think this is expensive. I wish it was more affordable, within the $99-$150 range.
Heart rate. Like I said above, I like that it doesn’t track my health, but at the same time, it would be a cool feature if the ring tracked only heart rate so it could read when it was spiking due to stress and anxiety. I did get vibrations during tense moments, but since that was at random, it felt more lucky than anything else. I would like to know the brand’s stance on a feature like this.
Who it’s for. At this price point, I realize this ring isn’t for everyone. After using it myself, I would say it’s for those that are highly aware of their stress and anxiety levels, and put a lot of work into their mental health and whatever tools they utilize to keep themselves at a healthy baseline. I would also say it’s for someone who prioritizes privacy and low screen time. You’re not going back into the app daily to see results or optimize. You’re genuinely trying to create mindful moments where you can breathe, disconnect from the grind, and not pick up your phone.
General PSA. This ring didn’t solve my anxiety. If something did that, I would monetize it (maybe). It’s a helpful tool, but it’s not a cure-all. Also, there were moments when pausing just wasn't an option, like in the middle of work meetings. Yes, I could take a few deep breaths, but there were times when I was wearing the ring where I had to ignore the vibration because of what I was doing.
The Fine Details…
Pulse Ring, ($199+)
Waterproof, allergen-free titanium, 21+ day battery life
Charging cable provided, packaging is made from recycled materials
14 day return window, two year limited warranty